No description available.

No description available.

Use of a mixed triisobutylaluminum/1,1-diphenylhexyllithium intiator enabled the anionic polymerization of methyl methacrylate at room temperature, resulting in narrow molecular weight distributions and syndiorich structures. Polymerizations were controlled above Al:Li = 2, and control significantly decreased at elevated temperatures above 25 °C. A significant increase in Tg with increasing control of syndiotacticity demonstrated the ability to tailor polymer properties using this technique. Analysis with MALDI-TOF/TOF spectroscopy revealed the dominance of a back-biting side reaction at elevated temperatures. Hydroxy-functional random and block copolymers of n-butyl acrylate (nBA) and 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate were synthesized using nitroxide mediated polymerization. Controlled polymerization was demonstrated, resulting in narrow polydispersities and linear molecular weight vs. conversion plots. In situ FTIR spectroscopy monitored the polymerizations and revealed pseudo first order rate kinetics for random copolymerizations. Protection of the hydroxyl using trimethylsilyl chloride alleviated isolation issues of amphiphilic polymer products. For the first time zwitterion-containing copolymers were electrospun to form nanoscale fibers with diameters as low as 100 nm. Free radical copolymerization of nBA and sulfobetaine methacrylamide produced zwitterionic copolymers with 6-13 mol % betaine. Dynamic mechanical analysis revealed a rubbery plateau and biphasic morphology similar to ionomers. Electrospinning from chloroform/ethanol solutions (80/20 v/v) at 2-7 wt % afforded polymeric fibers at viscosities below 0.02 Pa™s, which is the lowest viscosity observed for fiber formation in our laboratories. We hypothesized that intermolecular interactions rather than chain entanglements dominated the electrospinning process. Solution rheology of zwitterionic copolymers containing 6 and 9 mol % sulfobetaine methacrylate functionality revealed two concentration regimes with a boundary at ~1.5 – 2.0 wt %, regardless of molecular weight. This transition occurred at an order of magnitude lower specific viscosity than the entanglement concentration (Ce) for poly(nBA), and correlated to the onset of fiber formation in electrospinning. Comparison to existing models for polymer solution dynamics showed closest agreement to Rubinstein's theory for associating polymers, in support of our hypothesis that zwitterionic interactions dominate solution dynamics. The effect of ionic liquid (IL) uptake on mechanical properties and morphology of zwitterionic copolymers was explored using 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethylsulfate (EMIm ES). Dynamic mechanical analysis and impedance spectroscopy revealed a significant change in properties above a critical uptake of ~10 wt % IL. X-ray scattering revealed a significant swelling of the ionic domains at 15 wt % IL, with a 0.3 nm-1 shift in the ionomer peak to lower scattering vector. Results indicated the water-miscible IL preferentially swelled ionic domains of zwitterionic copolymers. / Ph. D.

Conventional free radical polymerization of n-butyl acrylate with 3-[[2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl](dimethyl)-ammonio]-1-propanesulfonate (SBMA) and 2-[butyl(dimethyl)amino]ethyl methacrylate methanesulfonate (BDMAEMA MS), respectively, yielded zwitterionomers and cationomers of comparable chemical structures. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed that zwitterionomers promoted more well-defined microphase-separation than cationic analogs. Dynamic mechanical analyses (DMA) of the copolymers showed a rubbery plateau region due to physical crosslinks between charges for zwitterionomers only. We attributed improved microphase-separation and superior elastomeric performance of the zwitterionomers to stronger association between covalently tethered charged pairs. Zwitterionomer / ionic liquid binary compositions of poly(nBA-co-SBMA) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethylsulfate (EMIm ES) were prepared using both the 'swelling– and the –cast with– methods. Dynamic mechanical analysis revealed that the 'swollen– membranes maintained their thermomechanical performance with up to 18 wt% EMIm ES incorporation, while that of the –cast with– membranes decreased gradually as the ionic liquid concentration in the composite membranes increased. Small-angle X-ray scattering results indicated that the 'swollen– and the –cast with– membranes have different morphologies, with the ionic liquid distributed more evenly inside the –cast with– membranes. Impedance spectroscopy results showed that the –cast with– membranes had better ionic conductivity than the 'swollen– membrane at high ionic liquid concentration, in agreement with our proposed model. The results indicated that the different processing methods had a significant impact on thermomechanical properties, ionic conductivities, as well as morphologies of the zwitterionomer / ionic liquid binary compositions. Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (RAFT) strategy afforded the synthesis of well-defined poly(sty-b-nBA-b-sty). 2-(Dimethylamino)ethyl acrylate (DMAEA), a tertiary amine-containing acrylic monomer, exhibited radical chain transfer tendency toward itself, which is undesirable in controlled radical polymerization processes. We employed a higher [RAFT] : [Initiator] ratio of 20 : 1 to minimize the impact of the chain transfer reactions and yielded high molecular weight poly[sty-b-(nBA-co-DMAEA)-b-sty] with relatively narrow PDIs. The presence of the tertiary amine functionality, as well as their quaternized derivatives, in the central blocks of the triblock copolymers afforded them tunable polarity toward polar guest molecules, such as ionic liquids. Gravimetric measurements determined the swelling capacity of the triblock copolymers for EMIm TfO, an ionic liquid. DSC and DMA results revealed the impact of the ionic liquid on the thermal and thermomechanical properties of the triblock copolymers, respectively. Composite membranes of DMAEA-derived triblock copolymers and EMIm TfO exhibited desirable plateau moduli of ~ 100 MPa, and were hence fabricated into electromechanical transducers. RAFT synthesized poly(sty-b-nBA-b-sty) triblock copolymer phase separates into long-range ordered morphologies in the solid state due to the incompatibility between the poly(nBA) phases and the poly(sty) phases. The incorporation of DMAEA into the central acrylic blocks enabled subsequent quaternization of the tertiary amines into sulfobetaine functionalities. Both DSC and DMA results suggested that the electrostatic interactions in the low Tg central blocks of poly(sty-b-nBA-b-sty) enhanced block copolymer phase separation. SAXS results indicated that the presence of the sulfobetaine functionalities in acrylate phases increased electron density differences between the phases, and led to better defined scattering profiles. TEM results confirmed that the block copolymers of designed molecular weights exhibited lamellar morphologies, and the lamellar spacing increased with the amount of electrostatic interactions for the zwitterionic triblock copolymers. Acrylic radicals are more susceptible to radical chain transfer than their styrenic and methacrylic counterparts. Controlled radical polymerization processes (e.g. RAFT, ATRP and NMP) mediate the reactivity of the acrylic radical and enable the synthesis of well-defined linear poly(alkyl acrylate)s. However, functional groups such as tertiary amine and imidazole on acrylic monomers interfere with the controlled radical polymerization of functional acrylates. Model CFR and RAFT polymerization of nBA in the presence of triethylamine and N-methyl imidazole revealed the interference of the functional group on the polymerization of acrylate. Various RAFT agents, RAFT agent to initiator ratios, degree of polymerization and monomer feed concentrations were screened with an imidazole-containing acrylate for optimized RAFT polymerization conditions. The results suggest that the controlled radical polymerization of functional acrylates, such as 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl acrylate and 4-((3-(1H-imidazole-1-yl)propanoyl)oxy)-butyl acrylate (ImPBA), remained challenging. / Ph. D.

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and its copolymers are used in a wide variety of applications ranging from textiles to purification membranes, packaging material and carbon fiber precursors. High performance polyacrylonitrile copolymer fiber is the most dominant precursor for carbon fibers. Synthesis of very high molecular weight poly(acrylonitrile-co-methyl acrylate) copolymers with weight average molecular weights of at least 1.7 million g/mole were synthesized on a laboratory scale using low temperature, emulsion copolymerization in a closed pressure reactor. Single filaments were spun via hybrid dry-jet gel solution spinning. These very high molecular weight copolymers produced precursor fibers with tensile strengths averaging 954 MPa with an elastic modulus of 15.9 GPa (N = 296). The small filament diameters were approximately 5 'm. Results indicated that the low filament diameter that was achieved with a high draw ratio, combined with the hybrid dry-jet gel spinning process lead to an exponential enhancement of the tensile properties of these fibers. Carbon fibers for polymer matrix composites are currently derived from polyacrylonitrile copolymer fiber precursors where solution spinning accounts for ~40 % of the total fiber production cost. To expand carbon fiber applications into the automotive industry, the cost of the carbon fiber needs to be reduced from $8 to ~$3-5. In order to develop an alternative melt processing route several benign plasticizers have been investigated. A low temperature, persulfate-metabisulfite initiated emulsion copolymerization was developed to synthesize poly(acrylonitrile-co-methyl acrylate) copolymers with acrylonitrile contents between 91-96 wt% with a molecular weight range of 100-200 kg/mol. This method was designed for a potential industrial scale up. Furthermore, water was investigated as a potential melting point depressant for these copolymers. Twenty-five wt% water lead to a decrease in the Tm of a 93/7 wt/wt % poly(acrylonitrile-co-methyl acrylate) of Mw = 200 kg/mol to 160 0C as measured via DSC. Glycerin, ethylene glycol and glycerin/water combinations were investigated as potential plasticizers for high molecular weight (~200,000 g/mol), high acrylonitrile (93-96 mole:mole %) content poly(acrylonitrile–co-methyl acrylate) statistical copolymers. Pure glycerin (25 wt %) induced crystallization followed by a reduced "Tm" of about 213 °C via DSC. However this composition did not melt process well. A lower MW (~35 kg/mol) copolymer did extrude with no apparent degradation. Our hypothesis is that the hydroxyl groups in glycerin (or water) disrupt the strong dipole-dipole interactions between the chains enabling the copolymer endothermic transition (Tm) to be reduced and enable melting before the onset of degradation. Additionally high molecular weight (Mw = 200-230 kg/mol) poly(acrylonitrile–co-methyl acrylate) copolymers with lower acrylonitrile content (82-85 wt %) were synthesized via emulsion copolymerization and successfully melt pressed. These materials will be further investigated for their utility in packaging applications. / Ph. D.

A novel photocrosslinkable and melt processible terpolymer precursor for carbon fibers has been successfully synthesized and characterized. The terpolymer was synthesized by an efficient emulsion polymerization route and has a typical composition of acrylonitrile/ methyl acrylate/acryloyl benzophenone in the molar ratio of 85/14/1. This thesis describes a systematic variation of the polymerization variables in the emulsion polymerization which may further enhance the system. In particular, the effects of chain transfer agent, initiator, and surfactant concentration on the polymer properties were studied. / Master of Science

Les copolymères à blocs amphiphiles sont des macromolécules composées d’au moins un bloc hydrophile lié chimiquement à un ou plusieurs blocs hydrophobes. En milieu aqueux, ils s’auto-associent pour former des micelles dont les cœurs constitués des blocs hydrophobes sont protégés de l’eau par une couronne constituée des blocs hydrophiles hydratés. La majorité des copolymères à blocs amphiphiles génèrent dans l’eau des micelles « gelées » ne présentant aucun échange de chaînes entre elles. Ceci vient du fait que l’énergie nécessaire pour extraire un bloc hydrophobe du cœur des objets est beaucoup trop importante. Par conséquent, les caractéristiques des micelles sont plus contrôlées cinétiquement que thermodynamiquement. Pour diminuer cette énergie nous avons incorporé des unités hydrophile acide acrylique (AA) dans le bloc hydrophobe de poly(acrylate de n-butyle) (PnBA). L’incorporation de 50% molaire d’unités AA dans le bloc hydrophobe conduit à la formation d’agrégats pH-sensibles dans le cas du dibloc PAA-b-P(AA0.5-stat-nBA0.5) comme montré dans une étude antérieure. Cette thèse a consisté en une analyse quantitative de la dynamique d’auto-association de copolymères dibloc et tribloc amphiphiles à base d’acrylate de n-butyle et d’acide acrylique dont les blocs hydrophobes contiennent 50% d’unités hydrophiles réparties de manière statistique. Les copolymères à blocs ont été synthétisés par polymérisation radicalaire contrôlée par ATRP. L’influence de la concentration, du pH, de la température et de la force ionique sur la structure et les propriétés mécaniques des systèmes auto-assemblés a été systématiquement étudiée. Par diffusion statique de la lumière nous avons montré la présence d’une concentration d’agrégation critique (CAC) au-dessus de laquelle, des micelles de type étoile (dibloc) ou fleur (tribloc) sont formées par auto-association des blocs hydrophobes. A plus fortes concentrations, des interactions répulsives de type volume exclu apparaissent entre les micelles étoiles. Pour les micelles fleurs, à l’inverse des interactions attractives conduisent au pontage des fleurs jusqu’à l’obtention de réseaux tri-dimensionnels au-dessus de la concentration de percolation. Une attraction trop importante entre les fleurs peut même conduire à une séparation de phase à forte force ionique et bas pH. En diffusion dynamique de la lumière, nous avons montré que la formation des réseaux s’accompagnait de l’apparition d’un mode lent dont l’origine a été expliquée par un mouvement balistique d’hétérogénéités relaxées dans les systèmes. La vitesse de relaxation de ces hétérogénéités s’avèrent être dépendantes des propriétés mécaniques des hydrogels. La formation des réseaux et la dynamique d’échange des chaînes ont été étudiées par rhéologie. La viscosité augmente régulièrement avec la concentration jusqu’à la concentration de percolation où une augmentation brusque de la viscosité se produit et un temps de relaxation apparaît. Le temps de vie des ponts a été finement contrôlé et modulé sur plusieurs décades par modification du pH, de la température et de la force ionique. La formation in-situ des hydrogels nous a permis de mettre en évidence un phénomène de vieillissement des réseaux après leur formation avant d’atteindre un état stationnaire. Ce phénomène s’est traduit par une augmentation du temps de relaxation au cours du temps avant d’atteindre une valeur plateau. Ceci nous a également permis de comprendre pourquoi il était possible de générer des réseaux homogènes, par vieillissement, possédant une dynamique extrêmement lente voir nulle. / Amphiphilic block copolymers are macromolecules composed of at least one hydrophilic block chemically linked to one or several hydrophobic blocks. In water, these macromolecules self-assemble to form micelles composed of a hydrophobic core surrounded by a hydrated hydrophilic corona. The majority of amphiphilic block copolymers form “frozen” micelles in aqueous solution. This means that there is no dynamic exchange of chains between micelles because the energy necessary to extract a hydrophobic block from the core of micelles is too high. Consequently, the characteristics of the micelles are controlled kinetically and not thermodynamically. In order to decrease this energy, we have incorporated acrylic acid units (AA) in the hydrophobic block of poly(n-butyl acrylate) (PnBA). It was previously shown that the incorporation of 50% molar of AA units in the hydrophobic block led to generation of pH-sensitive micelles in the case of PAA-b-P(AA0.5-stat-nBA0.5) diblocks. This thesis presents of a quantitative analysis of the dynamics of self-assembled amphiphilic diblock and triblock copolymer based on acrylic acid units and n-butyl acrylate units. The hydrophobic blocks contained 50% of acrylic acids units incorporated randomly. The block copolymers were synthesized by controlled radical polymerization (ATRP). The influence of the concentration, pH, temperature and the ionic strength on the structure and the mechanical properties of the self-assembled systems was systematically studied. At low concentrations, static light scattering measurements showed the formation of star-like micelles (diblock) or flower-like micelles (triblock) above a critical aggregation concentration (CAC). At higher concentrations, purely repulsive excluded volume interactions between micelles appeared in the case of diblock copolymers. In the case of triblock copolymers bridging of flower-like micelles induced in addition attractive interactions leading to network formation above the percolation concentration. At high ionic strength and low pH, we showed that the attraction between flower-like micelles became sufficiently stong to induce phase separation. Dynamic light scattering measurements showed besides a fast mode due to cooperative diffusion, a second slow relaxation mode that appeared at the percolation concentration. The origin of this mode was explained by a balistic motion induced by the relaxation of heterogeneities inside the system. The velocity of heterogeneities was determined by the mechanical relaxation of the hydrogels. The formation of the network and the exchange dynamic of chains were studied by rheology. The viscosity of solutions increased sharply at the percolation concentration. The terminal visco-elastic relaxation time of the network is related to the lifetime of bridges. It could be controlled and tuned over several decades by varing of pH, temperature and the ionic strength. The in-situ formation of networks revealed an aging of networks after their formation before they reached their stationary state. Aging caused a slow increase of the relaxation time before reaching its steady value. This explains why it is possible to generate homogeneous networks even if the network at steady is kinetically frozen.

Cette thèse a pour objet la comparaison des procèdes de polymérisation en émulsion et en miniémulsion. L'influence de la combinaison de stabilisants moléculaires et macromoléculaires sur la cinétique réactionnelle et la distribution de tailles de particules sont les critères pertinents dans notre étude. Un stabilisant polymère, le poly (alcool vinylique-co-acétate de vinyle) (PVA), a été synthétisé avec différents taux d'hydrolyse par saponification directe du polyacétate de vinyle. Le taux d'hydrolyse de ce copolymère a été caractérisé par la Résonance Magnétique Nucléaire du proton (RMN 1H). Puis, nous avons étudié l'influence de la composition d'un mélange stabilisant [copolymères poly (alcool vinylique-co-acétate de vinyle) (PVA)/laurylsulfate de sodium (SDS)] et en particulier le taux d'hydrolyse du PVA. La présence de complexe (PVA/SDS) influence légèrement la cinétique de polymérisation. Par contre la capacité des complexes à stabiliser les particules de latex final dépend du taux d'hydrolyse du PVA, plus ce dernier est faible, plus l'agrégation est importante. Enfin, nous avons suivi en ligne par spectroscopie Raman des polymérisations en émulsion et en miniémulsion du styrène. Une exploitation du spectre a été réalisée et a permis d'attribuer les différents pics aux vibrations de certaines liaisons. La consommation du monomère et l'apparition du polymère a pu être suivi tout au long de la polymérisation / The aim of this work is to compare processes of emulsion and miniemulsion polymerization. The influence of the combination of molecular and macromolecular stabilizers on the reaction kinetics and particle size distribution are relevant factors in our study. A stabilizer polymer, poly (vinyl alcohol-co-vinyl acetate) (PVA), was synthesized with different degrees of hydrolysis by a direct saponification of polyvinyl acetate. The degree of hydrolysis of this copolymer was characterized by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H NMR). Then, we studied the influence of the composition of a mixture stabilizer [poly (vinyl alcohol-co-vinyl acetate) (PVA)/sodium lauryl sulfate (SDS)], and particulary the degree of hydrolysis of PVA. The presence of complex (PVA/SDS) influences slightly the kinetic of polymerization. The ability of the complexes to stabilize the particles of latex depends on the degree of hydrolysis of PVA, the lower it is, the more the aggregation is important. Finally, we followed in situ emulsion and miniemulsion polymerizations of styrene by Raman spectroscopy. The exploitation of the spectrum allowed us to assign the different peaks to vibrations of certain bands. The consumption of the monomer and the appearance of the polymer could be followed throughout the polymerization

Le poly (acide lactique) (PLA), est un polymère synthétisé à partir de ressources renouvelables, qui est l'objet de beaucoup d'études à l'heure actuelle mais qui souffre d'une faible résistance au choc. Le but de ce travail est de rechercher des pistes permettant la préparation d'un matériau à base de PLA avec une résistance au choc améliorée tout en minimisant la perte de résistance à la traction. Les travaux présentés ici ont étudié le rôle de nanoparticules élastomères de poly (acrylate de butyle) (PBA) chargées de laponite (LRD) (PBA-LRD) ainsi que de nanocomposites coeur-écorce (PBA-LRD)/poly(méthacrylate de méthyle) (PMMA) en tant qu'agents de renforcement d'une matrice de PLA. Ces nanoparticules ont été dispersées dans la matrice PLA à l'état fondu. La synthèse de ces nanoparticules a été effectuée par polymérisation en émulsion ou miniémulsion. La laponite a été incorporée dans les nanoparticules afin de minimiser la perte de la rigidité tout en améliorant la résistance au choc de PLA. Trois types de tensioactifs et des modifications de surface de la laponite ont été testées pour améliorer l'adhérence entre les particules de PBA et la matrice de PLA. Enfin une écorce de PMMA a été utilisée pour assurer la bonne adhérence entre les particules de PBA et de matrice PLA. Nous avons montré que les particules coeur-écorce ont permis d'augmenter la résistance au choc au 3 fois du PLA tout en réduisant la diminution du module d'Young et la perte de résistance à la traction (~25%). Les propriétés de les particules synthétiques et les propriétés des mélange du PLA avec les particules PBA ou particules coeur-écorce ont été étudiées par diverses techniques de caractérisation (DLS, FTIR, ATG, MET, MEB, RMN 1H, DSC, DMTA...) / Poly (lactic acid) (PLA), come from renewable resources, one of the most important biopolymers, suffers from weak impact resistance. The aim of this work is to develop a process that will allow preparing a PLA with improved impact resistance while minimizing loss in tensile strength. The work presented here examined in detail the synthesis of poly(butyl acrylate) (PBA) nanoparticles charged with laponite (LRD) (PBA-LRD) and (PBA-LRD) / poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) core-shell nanocomposites. They were dispersed phase in PLA matrix and were synthesized by emulsion or miniemulsion polymerization. The clay such as laponite was included in these nanoparticles to minimize the loss of rigidity while improving the impact resistance of PLA. Note that three types of surfactants and some modify agents for LRD have been tried to improve the adhesion between the PBA particles and matrix PLA, PMMA was finally used to ensure a good adhesion between the PBA particles and the matrix. To this end, we explored successively the PLA blend, using PBA nanocomposites and the PBA/PMMA core-shell nanoparticles as reinforcing agents, with improved impact resistance, showing that core-shell particles allowed increasing of 3 times of impact strength of the PLA with a minimum amount of loss (~25%) in Young?s modulus and tensile strength. The properties of the synthetic particles and the properties of PLA blends have been demonstrated by various characterization techniques (DLS, FTIR, TGA, TEM, SEM, 1H-NMR, DSC, DMTA ...)

Le travail de thèse porte sur la synthèse de nouveaux monomères photopolymérisables issus de la biomasse, l’étude de leur photopolymérisation et la caractérisation des matériaux qui en résultent. Les monomères formulés ont été testés dans un procédé d’impression de caractères Braille.Les monomères ont été élaborés en deux étapes en utilisant un chemin réactionnel simple, économique et respectueux de l’environnement. La première étape a consisté à faire réagir des dérivés du glycérol (carbonate de glycérol ou glycidol) avec des acides gras. Dans un deuxième temps, les [alpha]-monoglycérides obtenus ont été fonctionnalisés en vue de les rendre photopolymérisables. Les différents monomères obtenus porteurs de fonctions (méth)acrylate et/ou époxy ont été photopolymérisés en quelques secondes en présence d’un photoamorceur. Les cinétiques de photopolymérisation ont été suivies par spectrométrie IR-TF en mode ATR et différents paramètres tels que la quantité et la nature du photoamorceur, l’intensité d’irradiation et la température ont été optimisés. Les différents matériaux obtenus après photoréticulation ont été caractérisés afin de mettre en évidence leurs principales physico-chimiques. Des relations structure – propriétés ont ainsi été établies.Enfin, une formulation photopolymérisable présentant une viscosité compatible avec le procédé d’impression Braille a été élaborée par ajout de silice nanométrique. Les points Braille obtenus présentent des caractéristiques proches de ceux réalisés par le partenaire industriel. / The work of the PhD deals with the synthesis of polymerizable monomers derived from biomass, the study of their photopolymerization and the characterization of the resulting materials. The formulated monomers were tested in a printing method of Braille characters.The monomers were prepared in a two-steps reaction that is simple, economic and environmentally friendly. The first step comprised a reaction between glycerol derivatives (glycerol carbonate or glycidol) and fatty acids. In the second step, the obtained [alpha]-monoglycerides were functionalized to obtain photopolymerizable monomers. The different obtained monomers that bear (meth)acrylate and/or epoxy groups were photopolymerized in a few seconds in the presence of photoinitiator.The photopolymerization kinetics were followed by FT-IR spectroscopy in ATR mode, and various parameters such as the amount and the nature of the photoinitiator, the irradiation intensity and the temperature were optimized. The different photocured materials were characterized to highlight their main physicochemical properties. Structure-properties relations were then established.Finally, a photopolymerizable formulation having a viscosity compatible with the printing process of Braille characters was developed by adding nanometric silice. The obtained Braille characters exhibited features close those carried out by the industrial partner.